IdiomFood & Drink
French
FrenchUne tarte à la crème
Meaning: A tired cliché trotted out as though it were an argument.
Literally: A cream tart
Example: “« Il faut remettre l'humain au centre » : c'est la tarte à la crème des discours politiques.” — "We must put people back at the center" is the tired cliché of every political speech.
Origin: In Molière's L'École des femmes a character repeats the phrase as his entire contribution, and the critics who mocked the play were then mocked for repeating themselves. The custard pie of slapstick is a later and separate joke.
More French idioms
- À tue-tête At the top of one's voice.
- Dire ses quatre vérités à quelqu'un To tell someone exactly what is wrong with them.
- Avoir la main verte To have a gift for growing plants.
- Entrer dans le vif du sujet To get to the heart of the matter.
- Une lapalissade A statement so obvious it is comic — a truism.
- Prendre des vessies pour des lanternes To be grossly deceived about something.
Explore another collection: Tongue Twisters
Tricky phrases to practice out loud, from languages around the world.
- Les chaussettes de l'archiduchesse sont-elles sèches, archi-sèches? A merciless duel between 'ch' and 's'.
- Si six scies scient six cyprès, six cents scies scient six cents cyprès. An 's' / 'si' minefield.
- Dans ta tente ta tante t'attend. A gentle 'ta / ten / tan / t'' warm-up that sounds faster than it reads.
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